Preparing the annual Christmas feast may be a worrying thought for some of us… But this list will help take the stress out of finding the perfect centre piece for the main event.
So here it goes… The five best turkeys on the market.
1.Barra Bronze Turkeys
The Barra Bronzes forage around their orchard for apples, pears and insects. They enjoy grazing on brassicas and red clover and are fed on the quality cereals that are produced on our fertile farm. This allows them to develop a richer flavour with distinct nuances. A flavour that is truly sublime.
A Barra Bronze has 3 times the maturity of a standard turkey which gives it a richer flavour and ensures that it cooks much more quickly. All of our turkeys are dry plucked, finished by hand and then game hung. The sum of all this knowledge and creativity ensures that a Barra Bronze is truly the best tasting bird around.
Available to order from Barra Bronze.
2.Copas Turkeys
Copas Turkeys have been given a long life, room to roam across the meadows and will have gone through age old production processes, including hand plucking and game hanging, to enhance and preserve the birds flavour, naturally. Copas Turkeys are loved by some of Britain’s best butchers.
Christmas is truly a day of celebration, relaxation and gaiety which is why, over the last fifty years, the Copas family have dedicated each year to producing the finest award winning turkeys in the land, just for Christmas. Available to order from Charles McHardy Butchers, Stonehaven. Tel. 01569 762693.
3.Kelly Bronze Turkeys
These turkeys are bred in a high standard idyllic outdoor environment which results in the ultimate luxury Christmas turkey. Kelly Bronze has been awarded the best free range turkey in the UK for the past 8 years and are a favourite of many TV Chefs.
Andrew Gordon are one of the largest stockists of these turkeys, all of which are genuine Kelly Bronze (they can only be classed as this when reared on a Kelly Bronze Farm). For the best quality at the best price, please contact Andrew Gordon, 16 Chatten Place, Aberdeen. Tel. 07555 887350. Their Christmas brochure can also be viewed online at The Lean Butcher.
4.Donald Russell Bronze Turkeys
Donald Russell tried scores of turkeys before finding the perfect bird, rich in old-fashioned flavour. Their search eventually took them to the idyllic farming region of Loué in northern France – an area recognised for its superior poultry since the middle ages.
The families of the Loué farmers’ cooperative have been farming for generations, and are so passionate about the quality and welfare of their birds, that they proudly display their badge of quality on each finished turkey. These free-range bronze turkeys are slow grown in a dedicated flock, exclusively for Donald Russell customers. Their outdoor lifestyle and all-natural diet gives the meat a firm, succulent bite, and a wonderful depth of flavour – just like turkey used to taste!
Available from Donald Russell, Tel. 01467 629666
5.Maryfield Free Range Bronze Turkeys
Maryfield Turkeys have been rearing turkeys since 1981. The turkeys arrive as day old chicks in June and once off the heat, move out to the fields where they supplement their diet, of grower pellets, with grass, docks and nettles.
From pellets, the birds move on to home grown oats. Their birds are free ramge, dry plucked and hung to give full, old fashioned flavour and texture. These are the Rolls Royce of turkeys, with a high meat to bone ratio. To order Tel. 01330 822836
Available from Maryfield